


Square One

by sassycosette



Category: K.A.R.D (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, BM is being the cheeky person he is, F/M, I honestly don't know what to tag this, J.Seph is a little bit of an ass but he's literally the smartest of them all, Jiwoo is a badass, Somin is shy and awkward, but date AU I guess?, clearly i'm doing all this for fun, this is not a reflection of their real life character whatsoever
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-12
Updated: 2017-08-02
Packaged: 2018-11-13 07:01:58
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 19,231
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11179521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sassycosette/pseuds/sassycosette
Summary: Somin was sure that she’s going to experience the most embarrassing moment in her life when her date (which Jiwoo set her up with through a dating website) didn’t show up and practically dumped her before he even met her. That was, until a bright-eyed, cheerful stranger suddenly came to her rescue and pretended to be her date just to save her from a complete and utter embarrassment.





	1. one

Somin had always known that her love life was a little sad. Alright, perhaps not a little sad. _Pathetic_ , to be frank.

Her last date was a year ago. Even then it didn’t end well because the guy turned out to be a bigot who was still living in his parents’ basement. He kept mistaking Somin for a Chinese, which honestly, was the worst thing anyone could ever say to her after begging her to go out on a date with him. If that wasn’t bad enough, he was also a disgusting pervert for thinking that she would actually have sex with him on their first date.

Let’s just say, as nice as Somin was, she couldn’t stand another minute with him without feeling like punching him in the face. In fact, she had to call Jiwoo in the middle of the date to get her out of it – which was something she had never done before because she knew how involved Jiwoo could get when it came into her love life. She was way too protective for her own good.

(And let’s just say, that night, Somin had to endure a seemingly never-ending nag from Jiwoo about her terrible taste in men.)

Also, sex. She hadn’t had sex for two years now – which to be honest, brought her to another level of pathetic. Still, after that bigot, Somin had completely retracted herself from the dating world and focused on her job instead.

And Somin didn’t mind. Sure, every now and then, she missed being intimate with someone. Sure, sometimes, she was jealous of Jiwoo, whose quick wit and fiery personality seemed to attract good men who always treat her right. In fact, Somin was sure that if Jiwoo wasn’t so scared of commitment, she would be happily married by now. She would have a good husband who treated her like a queen, and maybe she would have cute babies that she would ask Somin to babysit every now and then.

As of Somin, she was fine of her own. Being single, of course she’s going to feel lonely every now and then, but that’s life, you know? You can’t always get what you want. Reality is anything but perfect – Somin had accepted that. So, she tried to find joy in more important things such as her work, her relationship with her friends, her undying love for her cat, her hobbies like listening to music and reading – stuff like that.

However, Jiwoo wasn’t having any of that.

“Jeon Somin, I’m not gonna watch you grow old and become a sad cat lady like our Aunt Edna!” Jiwoo had said, much to Somin’s dismay.

Truthfully, Somin didn’t understand what’s so bad about being an old cat lady. Their neighbour, whom they call Aunt Edna, was a gem. Somin really liked her. Sure, Aunt Edna was a little conservative and boring, but her cats were adorable and she made the best chocolate chip cookies Somin had ever tasted. Even Jiwoo liked her cookies, although she didn’t want to admit it due to the fact that Aunt Edna made a negative comment about her pink hair once.

Besides, Somin didn’t understand why she had to pressure herself into finding a man to spend the rest of her life with when she had cats as her company. Cats wouldn’t judge her if she were to spend the rest of her day in sweatpants and big shirts. Besides, cats were much less demanding, and Somin liked undemanding creatures.

However, Jiwoo still wouldn’t stop worrying. She kept on saying that she knew that Somin wasn’t happy, and she saw that as a problem. As it was in her nature to quickly find solution to anything that she found problematic, Jiwoo had taken it in her stride to find Somin a date.

Thus, without Somin knowing, Jiwoo had secretly registered her in this dating website called Mate4You, and also without Somin knowing, after having quite a number of people interested in Somin’s profile, Jiwoo had randomly chosen one to meet Somin.

Honestly, it was one of their biggest fights yet. Somin had freaked out when Jiwoo told her the news, but Jiwoo refused to back down because the guy was ‘cute’, and ‘smart’, and ‘successful’ – basically everything that Somin wanted in a man. Somin had lost count of the times she yelled at Jiwoo for this, but of course, she couldn’t stay mad at her friend for so long. Jiwoo was persuasive, and Somin was still gullible.

Therefore, there Somin was, in a restaurant on a Saturday night, waiting for a complete stranger to show up.

As much as Somin loved Jiwoo, she wanted nothing more than to hit her in her head right now. This was literally the worst idea ever.

Reason? It had been an hour, and her date still hadn’t showed up.

And Somin had a feeling that he wasn’t going to.

////

It was embarrassing. Getting stood up was generally embarrassing, but getting stood up by a complete stranger was a whole new level of low. Somin fought the urge to cry, willing herself to believe that her date was stuck in a traffic jam somewhere and he was going to come no matter what.

She tried to remain positive, but he was over an hour late. Even an optimist like Somin knew what that meant.

_He wasn’t coming._

The waiters were eyeing her with amusement, partly mocking her for being alone in a restaurant where couples go on dates and _everyone_ was with someone. Earlier, they had asked her to order something, but she was insistent on waiting for her date. It was alright the first time, but when two, three, _four_ waiters came to ask her to order something, Somin felt humiliated, and she was angry. She could’ve been at home, watching Friends on Netflix right now, but instead, she had to face the mockery from the rude waiters in this restaurant.

She wanted nothing more to just give up and walk away, but her ego was too high to give them the satisfaction.

Another hour passed, and by now, even Somin realised she was downright pathetic. Perhaps Jiwoo meant well when she set her up on this date, but it all backfired because Somin felt even worse now. In fact, she had never felt this sad.

She looked up, finding another waiter coming her way. Despite the condescending look in his eyes, his face looked stern. Somin knew that this time, she had to leave willingly or they’re going to force her to leave because people were lining up outside the restaurant, waiting to be seated.

See, her ego might be bruised at this point, but she still had her dignity in her. She wasn’t going to let them drag her out of the restaurant.

So, as bitter as it was, she was going to leave willingly.

Somin was just about to get up when a man suddenly came out of nowhere and took a seat in front of her. She gaped at his sudden interruption, surprised that he confidently sat there like he belonged there. What surprised her more was that he even grinned at her – a total stranger.

Somin wanted to ask him whether he got the wrong table, but before she got to do so, the waiter had reached her table and gave her a questioning look.

“Sorry, love. I thought you hadn’t arrived! I was at the bar waiting for you!” the man said, giving her a cheeky smile and a wink, making her blush. He was way too attractive, someone Somin considered way out of her league.

Before sending her out on this date, Jiwoo had shown Somin the picture of the man she was supposed to meet tonight, and this man sitting in front of Somin now, wasn’t him.

This man in front of her was probably a few years older than her, while the man Jiwoo showed was younger. He was much taller too – Somin had a feeling that she might be shorter than his shoulder level. Still, what attracted Somin the most was the way his eyes light up when he talked, and he always had a smile on his face despite the awkwardness of the situation they’re in now. His smile was warm and kind, something that Somin deeply appreciate.

Thus, she didn’t have the heart to tell the waiter that she didn’t know this man.

“Ready to order, sir?”

“Yes,” the man replied, his eyes darted back to her and he asked, “What about you, kitten?”

Somin chuckled at the nickname he gave her. God, this was crazy. She didn’t know him. She was sure that he only felt sorry for her and only wanted to help. By right, she should just tell the waiter the truth and be done with it, but then again, he looked so sincere and eager that she couldn’t find it in her to walk away.

This man had practically saved her from a complete humiliation, so the least she could do was have dinner with him, right?

Then, without thinking any further, Somin nodded and said, “Yes.”

////

It took them only seconds to order because both of them were famished. When the waiter was gone, Somin turned to the man, and after a few minutes of complete silence, she asked, “So, are you ever gonna tell me who you are?”

The man laughed, blushing slightly as he realized that he hadn’t properly introduced himself. Somin knew that this man was a complete stranger to her, but she had the impression that he was a cheerful person who liked a good laugh. He didn’t hold back when he laughed, and he had wrinkles under his eyes when he smiled. Plus, the way his eyes lighted up when she talked to him exuberated such warmth and comfort that made her feel like she had known him for a while.

Which was crazy, because she didn’t even know his name.

“Matthew Kim,” he finally said, “Call me Matthew.”

“Matthew,” Somin repeated, the name escaped her lips easily, bringing some sort of calmness. She exhaled a sigh of relief, couldn’t help the smile that appeared on her lips as she said, “Well, Matthew, I’m Somin.”

“Somin,” he pronounced, and for the love of God, Somin wished that her heart didn’t skip a beat when he did that – but it did.

Oh boy.

 


	2. two

Somin swore that Jiwoo’s sole purpose in this world was to humiliate the hell out of her.

After having a huge fight about getting her on this date, Somin and Jiwoo didn’t talk for two days. It was the longest two days of Somin’s life because as Jiwoo was her closest friend, it became unbearably lonely when they weren’t talking to each other. The apartment seemed to be a much colder place when they’re avoiding one another – and Somin hated that.

She couldn’t stand not talking to Jiwoo for more than a day.

Let’s just say, although she didn’t think that this was completely her fault, Somin decided to become the bigger person and apologized first.

_“I’m sorry for overreacting,” Somin said timidly, peeking through the door to Jiwoo’s room –  too scared to enter because she didn’t know how Jiwoo would react. Upon her voice, Jiwoo, who was sketching something on her notepad, looked up. Her eyes instantly softened when she saw Somin by her door with a cup of hot chocolate in her hands. Somin seemed so hesitant to come in, but Jiwoo knew that it’s because she was not sure whether Jiwoo was in a good mood to talk to her._

_Jiwoo’s heart melted instantly._

_“Come in,” she remarked, tapping the empty space on her bed and gestured for Somin to enter. Somin returned Jiwoo’s smile before walking in carefully, trying not to spill the drink all over Jiwoo’s white carpet. As soon as she reached the bed, Somin handed her friend the cup and climbed up, taking her place next to Jiwoo as Jiwoo finished her drink._

_It’s always like this. Every time they fought, one of them would offer a reconciliation drink before talking things out. For Somin, it’s always green tea, and for Jiwoo, it’s always hot chocolate. It was their thing, a pattern that they fell into after being friends for a long time._

_It took Jiwoo only five minutes to finish her drink. Once she was done with it, she placed the mug on her bedside table and turned to Somin, who by now was watching her intently._

_“It’s okay, Somin. I forgive you.” Jiwoo said shortly. Somin heaved a relieved sigh at this, earning a chuckle from her best friend._

_“You should’ve seen your face. You looked so worried!” Jiwoo teased, poking Somin’s side with her bony finger, “Did you really think that I was gonna be mad at you forever?”_

_Somin hissed at the sudden contact, swatting Jiwoo’s hand from her side before laughing along with her. Shaking her head, Somin sighed, very much content that they were on talking terms again. The last two days had been hell – she hated fighting with Jiwoo. Jiwoo was much better at ignoring her than she was, so when it came to giving each other the cold shoulder, Jiwoo seemed to always win._

_Still, Somin was glad that it’s all over now._

_Looking around Jiwoo’s room, Somin realised that it had been a while since she last spent time with her friend. Both of them were busy with their lives. Somin was busy with her cat café and Jiwoo, with her journalist work (in fact, she hinted Somin about the possible scandal that she wanted to discover – it’s all exciting, but had taken a lot of her time). Somin had forgotten how warm and welcoming Jiwoo’s room was. It smelt of vanilla because of the scented candle that Jiwoo always light up every night. Jiwoo's room was completely different from Somin’s fresh-scented, cold bedroom._

_It occurred to her that both of them were such different people, and Somin was glad that she had a friend whom she could always rely on despite their differences._

_Somin didn’t feel like going back to her bedroom now, so she stretched her body and laid her head on Jiwoo’s lap. Jiwoo, despite being uncomfortable with affectionate gestures, didn’t mind this because she was so used to Somin being affectionate with each and every one of her friends. It used to bother her, but after being friends with Somin for over five years, she didn’t mind it. In fact, she often used this chance to practice her braiding skills on Somin’s hair._

_They then enjoyed each other’s company in silence. After a while, the sweet scent of vanilla and the warmth of the room, added with Jiwoo playing with her hair, eventually caused Somin to feel really sleepy._

_“Somin,” she heard Jiwoo call just as she was about to close her eyes._

_“Hmm?”_

_“I’m sorry too,” Jiwoo said, “Y’know, for setting you up on that date, and for fucking up your phone.”_

_By this time, Somin was too tired to even care. Thus, she simply nodded and fell asleep._

Somin had completely forgotten about what Jiwoo said until right now, when she’s about to have a good conversation with a beautiful man in a gorgeous restaurant, and her phone rang suddenly. Usually, Somin didn’t mind anyone calling her when she’s on a date, but when she heard the ringtone, she could feel her blood drain from her face.

Jiwoo had taken her revenge during their fight and changed Somin’s ringtone to the sound of cats fighting.

Clearly, the ringtone didn’t go well with the ambiance of the fancy restaurant. In fact, it alarmed everyone in the place who instantly checked the floor to see if one of the waiters had mistakenly open the door and let in two feuding cats. Matthew wasn’t excluded, as he quickly looked around him to find the cats, only to come up with nothing.

Confused, he turned to Somin, who by now was as pale as a ghost. Only then, Matthew realised that the sound came from Somin’s bag.

“Oh God,” Somin whispered under her breath before rummaging her bag for her phone. It took her a while to find it (to which Somin cursed herself for carrying too many things - why the hell did she need two scarves anyway?), but by the time she got her phone, the sound had already stopped and there was a missed call from Jiwoo.

Somin was sure that her face was now beet red from the total embarrassment and the stares of people around her.

“Alright, alright, there’s nothing to see here,” Matthew said eventually, giving death glares to everyone who were looking at them, “What? Can’t a girl enjoy a funky ringtone? Move along now, none of this is your business!”

If she could have the ground swallow her whole, Somin would do so in a heartbeat. As it was, she couldn’t go anywhere, thus, she sat there in silence, hoping that her food would come faster so she could go home and give Jiwoo a piece of her mind.

“So,” Matthew started, “You’re a cat lady, huh?”

His tone was light and friendly. Somin had expected that he would make fun of her, but he remained kind and curious – something that Somin really appreciated despite her surprise.

“I am, but that ringtone, it’s not- it’s not me,” she explained, “My roommate did it. We were fighting the other day and… y’know, this shows you should _never mess with a prankster_.”

“You really shouldn’t,” Matthew laughed, “Sounds like your roommate’s quite a handful.”

“She is, but you know what it is, even if she’s like that, she’s still my friend.”

“I understand,” Matthew nodded curtly before changing the topic, “So, I guess you two own a cat? Y’know, with you being a cat lady and all?”

“We do,” Somin grinned widely, “Her name’s Thomas.”

“Her?”

“Yeah, her. Thomas’ a female.”

“You can’t be serious!” Matthew laughed, and his laughter intensified when Somin beamed and nodded, showing that she wasn’t joking.

“I’m serious! She’s a kitten when I got her from the streets. I honestly thought she was a tomcat, so I named her Thomas. By the time I realized that she’s a female cat, it was too late. She won’t respond to anything but Thomas now. Well, except for Tom. I either call her Thomas or Tom.”

“Oh man. That’s… weirdly adorable.”

See, the thing about being a total cat lady was that once you started talking about your cat, you couldn’t stop. Somin went on and on, “And  _that’s_  the power of wishful thinking. I wanted a tomcat so badly because my aunt had one. So, I actually named my female cat a male name. But everything turns out alright. Tom is nothing like my aunt’s cat, but she’s adorable in her weird ways. She’s a sweetheart to everyone, especially to my roommate, Jiwoo, who usually hates cats but she adores Tom. You know, there’s this one time when I came home and I saw her hugging him and… oh God, I’m talking too much, ain’t I?”

Matthew’ face was blank the whole time she was talking. Somin knew that look. She had seen that look many times before. It’s embarrassing, really, how much she talked about cats. She knew that it was pathetic because she made it seem like her life revolved around her cat, but she couldn’t help it – because it was partially true.

People were entitled to their own passion, and Somin’s passion just happened to be her beloved cat.

And unfortunately for her, her passion for cats also meant her sounding like a pathetic cat lady who had no life outside her home.

“It’s alright. I’m listening, really.” Matthew said kindly, encouraging her to tell him more about her cat. However, Somin shook her head.

“I’m done talking. Don’t wanna bore you with my cat stories,” she replied, “What about you? Were you supposed to meet someone here?”

“Actually, yes,” Matthew answered, “But that jackass bailed on me.”

“Oh,” Somin said, “Friend? Girlfriend?” she hesitated before adding, “Boyfriend?”

“ _Boyfriend_?” Matthew laughed, “No way! I was supposed to meet my friend, J.Seph – he works as a bartender here. We planned to go to the pub for a drink but he just texted me that he got off early because he met a girl. So now he’s already at the pub.”

Matthew huffed, clearly he wasn’t happy that J.Seph changed the plan last minute.

“I see,” Somin nodded, “You know, Matthew, you don’t have to be here for me. I was going to leave anyway. I really don’t want to keep you from seeing your friend…”

“That’s alright,” Matthew interrupted, “I saw the way the waiters treated you – and I know you didn’t need protecting but,” he sighed, looking at the busy waiters, “Someone needs to stand up against these assholes. Honestly, I have no idea how J.Seph could stand working with them.”

“He must be really patient,” Somin remarked nonchalantly.

“He really isn’t,” Matthew replied, his gaze back on Somin, “But the pay’s good, so maybe he’s patient because of that.”

“Fair enough.” Somin shrugged, knowing well how money could be the sole reason why people tolerated shitty behaviours, “Thank you, though. I really appreciate this.”

At that, Matthew grinned, said that it was his pleasure anyway.

They then talked about their lives, their friends, and their careers, to which Somin learnt that Matthew was a dance teacher. He and J.Seph were friends since college, and they lived together until now – just like Jiwoo and her. She also learnt that despite his beautiful physique, he actually had an unhealthy obsession towards ice-creams and candies, and he was intolerable when he was sugar high. Somin then told him that she liked _all_ animals, but cats were her favourite. She also told him about how much she loved romantic comedies, and was pleasantly surprised to find that Matthew enjoyed them too from time to time. He preferred action movies himself, but romantic comedies were his guilty pleasure.

The longer they talked, the more personal the questions got. Before she knew it, he had told her about his family, his childhood, and his friends – just like she told him about her silly stories, her awkward manners, and her hidden skills. Somin knew that she should’ve known better than to pour her heart out to a complete stranger, but there was something about him that made her feel like she was safe, that she didn’t have to worry about anything when he’s there.

It’s a strange feeling, but Somin quickly brushed it off by blaming the wine she’s drinking.

After she was done talking, Somin realized that she hadn’t had a real conversation with someone for a very long time. This felt good.

Talking to Matthew felt good.

“I had a cat once, you know?” Matthew suddenly said after he was done talking about his dog, Mushroom, “Well, my ex-girlfriend did. In fact, I think the cat was the only good thing about my relationship with her,” he added after a thought.

“Oh, what happened?”

Matthew didn’t get to answer because their dessert had finally arrived, and they were silent the whole time when the waiter put their food on the table. When the waiter was gone, Somin looked at Matthew expectantly. Much to her surprise, he shook his head.

“Sorry, I don’t think I can tell you that.”

“Oh, no,” Somin said, “ _I'm_ sorry. I didn’t mean to pry…”

“No, please stop saying you’re sorry. I didn’t want to tell you because…” Matthew hesitated, and Somin realized that his ears had turned red as he avoided her eyes, “Because y'know, it’s not good to talk about your ex to the girl you want to ask out again.”

Somin giggled, “You want to ask me out again?”

“Well, only if you want to. I m-mean, I don’t wanna force you or anything but I really enjoy talking to you and you’re really pretty and… oh God, I mean, it’s not that I’m staring but I just… that…that…”

“No, please, stop.” Somin giggled, putting her hand on her mouth to stop herself from laughing out loud. Matthew looked extremely frustrated with himself, as he looked down to avoid her eyes and bit his bottom lip to stop himself from saying anything further. Somin’s heart melted at that sight.

Once she stopped giggling, she said, “I’d love to go out with you again.”

Matthew looked up, his cheeks were still a little red, but his face lighted up, and he was smiling. Somin realized that she loved his smile, and his was probably her favourite smile, “You do?”

“Yes,” Somin raised her wine glass and drank from it, “This night turns out to be much better than I expected.”

Matthew chuckled, “I thought so too,”

////

Once they’re finished with their dessert, Matthew insisted on paying for dinner. However, being the person she was, Somin wasn’t comfortable, considering that she knew how expensive the food there was. They bickered a little about the bill, but in the end, Somin managed to convince Matthew to let her pay because he had saved her from a total embarrassment earlier, and the least she could do was pay for his food.

She could tell that Matthew was a little frustrated with that as they walked out of the restaurant, but then she moved closer to him and said, “C’mon, what’s with the long face?”

At her sweet voice, Matthew smiled, “I guess I’m used to paying for my own food. Thank you, by the way.”

“No problem. After what you’ve done-”

“C’mon, Somin. I didn’t do anything,” Matthew interrupted her, “And it’s my pleasure. I’m glad I came to your table.”

Somin grinned, “I’m glad you did too.”

“The next time we go out, our meal is on me, alright?” Matthew said, looking at her in her eyes, “I know a great restaurant – much better than this one. We’ll go there next time.”

“I’m looking forward to that,” Somin replied. They laughed for a while before realising that this was it. The night was over.

Somin wanted to go to the left because her apartment was that way, while Matthew was ready to go to the right. They both realised that they needed to part ways now, and Somin felt her heart sank at that thought.

She didn’t want to go home just yet. She wanted to spend more time with him.

Matthew was about to take out his phone to ask for her number, but then Somin suddenly said, “Y’know, the night’s still young.” she gauged for his reaction – hoping that he felt the same way, “I mean, I could go for more drinks – if you’re up to it.”

She really shouldn’t go for more drinks. She’s a little bit of a lightweight, and right now, she’s already feeling a little doozy. If she drank more, she might have a terrible hangover tomorrow, in which Jiwoo wouldn’t keep silent about it because this suggestion she just gave Matthew was a _terrible_ suggestion – and god, she’s gonna pay for this.

Matthew looked at her in the eyes, as if wondering whether she was serious. She didn’t deter from him even for a bit, so he took it as a sign that she’s okay.

Much to her comfort, Matthew smiled at her remark and said, “Well, then milady, if you say so, I know just the place.”


	3. three

Somin always insisted that she had never been to a pub before.

And that was a lie.

She did, _once,_ back in college when she had to get Jiwoo because the girl was too drunk to drive home. Somin was just about to go to bed (10 o’clock was her bedtime) when she got a call from Jiwoo asking her to come because she just broke up with her boyfriend at that time and he left her there, all drunk, with no other means of transportation. Normally, Somin would tell Jiwoo that she should call a cab because Somin wasn’t good at driving at night, but after sensing the fear and devastation in Jiwoo’s voice, Somin grabbed her car keys and went out the door immediately.

That was her first and her last time at a pub. She never felt the need to go there again because she had other things to focus on. She admitted that her college life was pretty boring, but she never understood the appeal of a place where she got groped the moment she entered and had to hustle through so many people just to get to her friend.

However, today, here she was, about to enter a pub with a stranger she met during dinner. She blamed it on the wine she had – it clouded her judgment and made her braver.

And Somin liked feeling brave for once – like she had nothing to lose, nothing to fear.

“You sure he’ll be okay with me?” Somin asked, wrapping her arms around her body to protect herself from the cold, “I mean, he’s only expecting you.”

“Don’t worry about it,” Matthew replied as he turned his head to look at Somin. He found that she was shivering from head to toe, and at that, he quickly took off his jacket and put it around her, “You have nothing to worry about.”

“Yeah,” Somin chuckled, “Easier said than done. I worry – it’s in my nature,”

“That so? Well,” he smiled, his eyes soft and kind. Somin was lost in them before she realised that he had taken her hand, interlacing their fingers, “It’s in my nature to ease people’s worries, Somin. And Seph won’t give you a hard time. I’ll be there. If there’s anyone who should be worried, it’s me. God knows how embarrassing friends can be.”

Truth be told, Somin barely heard a word. She could feel her senses short-circuited the moment Matthew touched her skin and held her hand. Just like that, all that she could focus on was how easily her hand fit in his, and how warm his hand was around hers, giving her the comfort she sorely needed. It was crazy to feel so safe around someone she met just mere hours ago. A part of her was reluctant, wondering if she had made a mistake, and that she should head home right after the dinner. But a part of her was glad that she’s here – and although she didn’t believe it herself, there wasn’t any place that she’d rather be in right now than here.

It’s funny to think that just moments before, they’re strangers, and that the entire journey they took to the pub, Somin kept his distance from him, still feeling a little awkward. Matthew respected her distance, keeping his hands in his jacket pocket while walking in silence, eyes looking up at the stars, getting lost in his thoughts. Somin had wanted to ask what he was thinking, but he looked so calm, Somin lost her words. She could only watch him, as if he was an art that she was yet to understand.

Now, she’s holding his hand as they walked into the pub. The place was warm, a sudden change from the cold weather outside. As expected, the place was a little crowded, but somehow Matthew spotted J.Seph easily, so he quickly pulled Somin with him to get to J.Seph’s table.

From Matthew’s words, Somin had the impression that J.Seph was taller than him, maybe covered in tattoo and practically gave off the aura that he’s unapproachable. Matthew had gone on and on about how J.Seph was so cool, so amazing, so protective – that he literally did not know how he’d be without him. See, Matthew himself was tall and buff, but from the way he described J.Seph, Somin had the impression that J.Seph was like the older, taller, stronger version of Matthew. That he’s like his big brother.

That he was definitely going to give Somin a hard time because a guy like this was usually a total asshole.

However, when she finally saw him in person, J.Seph was nothing like she expected him to be.

He was donning a black leather jacket, ripped jeans, and white shirt. He was covered, so Somin had no idea if he had any tattoo on his body, but from his clean image, she had a feeling that he didn’t. His hair was sleek back, showing his handsome, sharp feature that Somin knew would drive most girls crazy, considering that they always turn to get a second glance when they walk past him. However, what surprised her the most was how shy he looked. In the pub, he seemed a little out of place despite the beautiful girl sitting next to him. She was talking animatedly, but he simply nodded in understanding – but he never said anything back.

When he saw Matthew though, his face light up as he waved for Matthew to come to his table. His smile faded slightly when he realised that he wasn’t alone and that Somin was there. The look of enthusiasm in his eyes changed into the look of curiosity. Somin felt exposed under his stare, but it was only for a mere second because J.Seph then smiled at her too, and just like Matthew’s, his smile was welcoming and kind.

“Hello,” he greeted, nodding curtly at Somin, “Nice to meet you.”

Somin nodded curtly and returned his smile. She was about to introduce herself, but Matthew was ahead of her.

“Seph, this is Somin.” He said, “We met during dinner.”

“Dinner?” J.Seph looked confused as he stared at Matthew, “I thought we’re gonna eat here.”

“Sorry, man,” Matthew replied, a tone of amusement lacing his deep voice. However, when J.Seph looked at him expectantly, as if waiting for an explanation, he simply shrugged and continued, “It’s a long story. I’ll tell you later.”

Somin was sure that J.Seph was not done yet, but out of respect for her and Matthew, he let it go and put the matter to rest. He then smiled at Somin and gestured to the empty seat in front of him, “Join us, Somin!”

Although timidly, Somin nodded and took the seat.

See, Somin was always nervous to meet someone new. She was always awkward, always too timid to even say her name. Because of that, she always felt like people were weary of her, like they’re not going to even bother entertaining someone who was too shy to even interact. But she was lucky that J.Seph was nothing like that. Although he barely knew her, after a while, he seemed comfortable enough with her to include her in his conversation with Matthew. She felt safe with them, and even safer when Matthew put his arm around her shoulder, keeping her close to him.

“And I was like, ‘Dude, put on your pants. My parents are here!’“ J.Seph said, earning a hearty laugh from everyone around the table, except for Matthew who looked bemused. Ignoring Matthew’ pointed look, J.Seph continued, "So, Somin, that’s the kind of behaviour that you should expect from my friend right here,” he gripped Matthew’ shoulder, fighting the urge to laugh out loud.

“It’s nice that you decide to tell Somin the most embarrassing moment of my life, but in case you haven’t noticed, I’m trying to date this woman?”

“No, no!” Somin interrupted, wiping the tear from her eyes from laughing too much, “It’s okay. I mean, I don’t mind knowing more!”

“Nope, that’s enough from you!” Matthew held up his hand when J.Seph opened his mouth to talk. “You’ve embarrassed me enough!”

“Alright, alright. I’m sorry,” J.Seph held up his hands as a gesture of surrender, cheeky grin still on his face. His face was red, showing that he was a little tipsy, “Somin, if you wanna know, Matthew here, is one hell of a singer!”

Somin’s jaw dropped while J.Seph erupted into uncontrollable fits of laughter. Matthew had retracted his arm from around her shoulders and buried his face in his hands to hide his face from the utter embarrassment. Somin was sure she heard him say, “Ugh, you are the fucking worst.”

“In fact,” J.Seph continued, “He’s going to sing us a song tonight!”

“I’m not!” Matthew protested.

“Oh yeah? Well, let’s just say someone had put your name in the list, and in a few seconds, you’re gonna be called to the stage.”

“Fucking hell, man. I can’t believe you did that!” Matthew said exasperatedly.

“To be fair, I didn’t know Somin’s coming. We just wanted to hear you sing, didn’t we, Rhea?” he turned to his date, Rhea, who by now, was way happier than she was before. Perhaps that she too, was surprised that J.Seph had a wild, teasing side of him that was just waiting to be unleashed.

“C’mon, Matt,” Rhea said with a perfect British accent, “Show us what you got.”

True enough, Matthew  _was_  called to the stage a few minutes later. From the way he suddenly looked guarded and unsure, Somin could tell that he was nervous, that he didn’t think he could do it. She had half the heart to tell him that if he didn’t want to, then no one was going to force him to go on the stage and sing. However, when she looked at Matthew closely, she realised that despite the uncertainties in his eyes, there’s also eagerness hiding behind them. He was clutching his fist. He was almost out of his chair.

He was ready to go.

And Somin understood passion the moment she saw it. Perhaps Matthew was scared, but he wanted this. _He wanted to shine._

Somin then leaned forward and place her hands on Matthew’s knuckles, squeezing them and assured him that he was going to do great. She could feel J.Seph’s eyes on both of them as she heard him chuckle when she did that, but she couldn’t be bothered because when Matthew looked at her and returned her smile, she knew that she had convinced him somehow.

And that it was enough for him as he then let go of her hand and made his way to the stage. People applauded and cheered for him, and he shyly received the microphone, narrowing his eyes slightly when the spotlight was on him. Somin gave him thumbs up to encourage him to go on, and he beamed, as if she was the will for him to go on.

And then, the music started.

J.Seph was right. Matthew indeed, was a great singer. His voice was deep, but not too deep that she couldn’t understand anything that he’s singing. He had this sweetness that she liked, and she found herself drawn into the song, completely oblivious of the people around her singing along and cheering for him. She had almost not notice that he was done singing, and were only brought out of her reverie when J.Seph patted her on her back, smiling knowingly and caused her to blush. Just like the rest of the audience, she got off her chair and applauded, feeling proud of Matthew, who by now, was getting off the stage to get back to her.

Just when Matthew was walking towards them, Somin saw a beautiful woman tap him on his back, causing him to halt in his tracks and turn around. She couldn’t see his reaction, but the woman seemed really happy, and really proud. Somin was about to ask J.Seph who she was, but before she got to do so, she heard J.Seph mutter, “Oh, shit.”

Somin frowned, “Is there something wrong?”

J.Seph turned to her, his eyes showing nothing but sympathy. He was hesitant before he darted his gaze to Rhea, who just like Somin, was confused by sudden change of mood at the table. J.Seph looked like he wanted to be anywhere but here, which Somin didn’t understand because he was having the time of his life just now, but now he wanted nothing more than to escape.

He watched her like he was feeling really bad for her, which honestly, made her really nervous.

Thing was, Somin didn’t like this at all. It’s not that she wasn’t used to all this. She knew how awkward, how naïve she was. Sometimes, people needed to explain things to her because she couldn’t read in between the lines, and she couldn’t sense negativity in people even when it’s right there in front of her. She always had Jiwoo to help her get past awkward moments, and she always had Jiwoo pulling her out of the situation before everything got worse. Right now, Somin wished Jiwoo was here because she’s not good at reading signals, and everyone was giving her mixed signals – she felt so out of place.

It was just minutes ago when she felt like she was accepted, but right now she felt like she was no one but an outsider.

“Is there something  _wrong_?” Somin emphasized on the word, ‘wrong’, and her voice was louder and clearer as she hated feeling like an outcast. She glared at J.Seph, who by now knew that he wasn’t going to get out of it, so he needed to tell her the truth and answer the questions he hated to face.

“If you must know, that’s Hana.” J.Seph sighed, running his hand through his long hair and scratched slightly, showing that he was just as distressed as Somin, “Matthew’ ex. I can’t believe she’s here. He’s just getting over her…”

“Hana? The one with the cat?”

J.Seph’s eyebrows furrowed at her comment – probably wondering how she knew anything about Hana’s cat. He then pushed past it and nodded, “Yeah, that’s her. If you ask me, I don’t think he’s ever gonna get over Hana. I mean, when you love someone as much as… ow!”

Rhea had kicked him in his shin from under the table while giving him a pointed look. J.Seph’s eyes darted to Somin, who by now felt like the world was crashing down on her.

“I-I mean…”

Somin bit her bottom lip. So, that was her, then? Hana. That’s the woman whom Matthew loved.

See, Somin wasn’t irrational. She knew the feeling of being in love, and how devastating it was to fall out of love. Breakups were never easy. She had her fair share of broken hearts and shattered dreams, and she definitely remembered how difficult it was to get over her ex, whom she loved with every crevice of her heart and soul.

Getting over him was a lonely process. She missed him, but she knew she couldn’t reach for him anymore. She was desperate for intimacy – so much so that she wanted to get it from somebody new just to forget her pain, and once, she even believed that meaningless dates and meaningless sex could help her. However, despite all that, she knew that the moment her ex came back to her, she would jump right back into his arms, even if it meant getting her heart broken all over again. She remembered how strong and destructive love could be, and she knew that if Matthew was getting over Hana, it meant that he was facing the same difficulties like she used to.

Also, it meant that Somin was just another meaningless date and a possible meaningless sex.

For that, she was disappointed. She knew she shouldn’t be, for she would be a fool to think that there was something more for her and Matthew when they had just met a few hours ago. She had no idea what she’s expecting to come out of this. Was she expecting for something grand? Did she think she was special to him?

She wasn’t. She never would be.

All this made Somin felt so suffocated that she wanted to run away. To forget this night and everything that happened. She didn’t think she could face Matthew now, although this matter might seem so trivial and she might come off as childish and dramatic. She agreed that was stupid to feel sad about such small matter, but that’s what she felt. As meaningless as this could be, she didn’t want to be another meaningless sex for someone.

She was more than that. And she _wanted_ more than that.

And one thing that Somin had learnt enough from Jiwoo was that when you feel like you’re not needed, you better take off.

“I think I’ll get going now.”

“What?” J.Seph sounded surprised, “No, stay! Matthew is just getting here…”

“No, it’s getting late. I think I’m gonna catch a cab home. My roommate is worried sick.” Somin forced a smile, “She just texted me, so I need to go now.”

She lied. Jiwoo hadn’t sent any text, and she must believe that Somin was having a good time. Oh, if only she knew how the night turned out.

“Somin…”

“It’s alright. Tell Matthew I’ll call him.” She lied again. No, she wouldn’t call him. She didn’t have his number and he didn’t have hers.

This was goodbye.

And she didn’t think she could stand there feeling worse for lying to J.Seph, who seemed to believe every word that she said.

Just like that, Somin turned her heels and walked out of the pub. She hailed a cab the moment she got out, praying that there’s one that night and she didn’t have to result to calling Jiwoo to pick her up.

Much to her relief, just seconds after that, a cab came, and she got on it, telling the driver to drive as fast as he could.

On the ride home, Somin replayed the night’s events in her head. In a way, everything felt like a dream. What were the odds that an attractive man came to save her from utter humiliation, and actually hinted that he liked her? What were the odds that she formed a raw, genuine bond with this man who, a few hours ago, was a total stranger? What were the odds that just a few hours ago, she was excited at the prospect of going out with him again, and now, all she could feel was a twist in her gut?

Somin couldn’t wrap her head around the whole thing. Everything about this night didn’t feel like a reality.

However, as she hugged her body, she realized that she was still wearing Matthew’ jacket. The jacket, to Somin, was a crushing realisation, a reminder that everything that happened, happened.

It’s not a dream. It’s the reality she’s living in, and like it or not, Matthew came into her life. As fleeting as it was, he broke her heart a little, but in return, he gave her the night she would never forget. He gave her a piece of his heart just like she gave him hers.

As terrible as the night turned out to be, Somin knew that if she could relive this night and see Matthew again, she would.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hiii! 
> 
> First of all, thank you so much for taking time to read! I know this chapter is a little angsty, but it'll be better soon (I hope :p) We'll see more Jiwoo in the next chapter, so I hope you're up to that! This isn't the end for BM and Somin, I swear. There's more to them - their story is far from over!
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading. If you'd like, do leave me a review telling me about your thoughts, predictions, and criticism. I really appreciate every feedback I got, and I read them every time to find ways for me to improve. 
> 
> I better stop now before I'm rambling too much. Anyway, again, thanks for reading, and I'll see you in the next chapter! x


	4. four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! I'm sorry for this very late update, but I've been busy with Eid and all so I didn't have any inspiration to write. However, here you go! This chapter is a little long, to make up for lost times. I also incorporated a little bit of Jiwoo x J.Seph, and I know it's not exactly a popular ship, but they're important for the plot progress. I hope you'd understand, and enjoy!

Jiwoo didn’t believe in coincidences.

She didn’t think that there were such things because everything that happened must have their own logical explanation behind it. It’s not that she’s a sceptic for not believing in the power of the universe or fate, but she just couldn’t wrap her head around the fact that there’s another power than controls the lives of humans other than humans themselves. She believed that humans take full responsibility for their actions, so to her, there’s no such thing as ‘fate brings us together’ or anything related to that. Whatever happens, it’s humans who make the effort to make things work.

This makes her the polar opposite to Somin, who believes in the power of the universe. Just a few weeks ago, she came home looking wrecked, tired, and devastated. It got Jiwoo all worried because she was the one who set her up with a random guy, and based on how Somin came home that day, with a mysterious jacket wrapped around her body, she thought the man had done something unimaginable to her best friend. Jiwoo was ready to call the cops when Somin noticed what she’s doing and assured her that nothing bad happened.

Of course, Jiwoo didn’t believe her, but she respected Somin’s wishes and dropped the matter. Somin spent a few days brooding, which increased Jiwoo’s worries, but every time she saw Jiwoo worrying, Somin assured her that she was alright. This went on for a week until Jiwoo finally burst and practically forced Somin to tell her what happened or she’s going to go to freak out.

Only then Somin opened up and told her about a man named Matthew.

And honestly? All that sounded like a total bullshit.

It all sounded like a fairy tale, and Jiwoo didn’t believe in fairy tales. What were the odds that Matthew came just in time to save her friend from utter embarrassment, like a prince coming to save a damsel in distress? What were the odds that he was _just there_? Why didn’t Somin see that there’s every possibility that he’s stalking her and all that was planned? And the ‘girlfriend’ she saw with Matthew at the club was indeed his girlfriend, and Somin was actually saved by her because who knew what Matthew would do to her if they went on with their ‘date’?

Somin described the night like it’s something beautiful, like the universe wanted to bring them together to teach her a lesson about falling for someone. Personally, Jiwoo didn’t believe that the meeting was coincidental, but out of respect for Somin, she kept quiet and just listened. After all, Somin really did sound devastated when she realised that Matthew’s heart still belonged to someone else, and there’s no place for her just yet.

Jiwoo couldn’t believe that Somin was devastated for days because of someone she barely knew, but then again, that was her Somin. Somin always wore her heart on her sleeves. She’s a gentle soul, almost too pure and too fragile for this harsh world. She was brought up with love and care, while Jiwoo’s character was hardened by the strict ruling and upbringing from her parents. Jiwoo didn’t complain though, because although she wished she could understand Somin sometimes, she wouldn’t trade her upbringing for anything in the world.

Jiwoo didn’t know what to do with Somin’s story, so she just let her be to deal with her feelings. Besides, she knew that if she expressed her concern about Somin’s meeting with Matthew, Somin would just deny and insisted that it was indeed the universe bringing them together.

And Jiwoo didn’t want to deal with that shit.

So, she left Somin alone, and both of them went on with their lives. After a month, she was sure that Somin had completely forgotten about Matthew because she had stopped talking about him altogether.

As for her, she had her own problems that challenged her belief about fate and coincidences.

See, for some peculiar reason, Jiwoo kept running into the same guy everywhere she went. The first time she saw him was at her favourite coffee house, and she thought he was cute. But he only came for his coffee and went out before she could even say hi.

The next time she saw him, he was across the street, walking fast – almost running, in fact – under the cold weather, and Jiwoo could only admire his beauty from afar as he went by. As she had to rush to her work afterwards, so she didn’t think of him at all until that night. That night, she saw him again at her favourite takeout place, where he was just leaving when she came. He looked at her for the first time, and for some reason Jiwoo couldn’t comprehend, his eyes were the ones that haunted her in her dreams that night.

Usually, Jiwoo, being her pessimist self, would think that he was stalking her because there’s just no way that they would always run into each other without any logical reason. However, if he was a stalker, he was a really bad one because based on her experience with stalkers, they always did something to have some kind of contact with her. But this guy, he didn’t seem to acknowledge her existence at all. It’s like she’s just another entity to him, another face he’d forget, another person he didn’t bother to look twice.

Honestly? It drove Jiwoo crazy that he never noticed her while she always noticed him.

This went on for weeks, until Jiwoo had enough and realised that she needed some peace of mind. So, she took her car and drove to one of her favourite parks in the city. It was quite far from her neighbourhood, which was why Jiwoo hardly go here, but every time she needed to clear her head, this was the place she went to.

It’s only a small park, but it’s beautiful because it’s clean and quiet – and the serenity of it was all that Jiwoo needed.

She walked around the park and breathed in the fresh air. Here, she felt like she was disconnected from the real world. It’s like she was alone with her own mind. The chatters in her head died down the moment she stepped foot into this park, like finally after a few weeks, she could sit down, think, and reflect about everything that happened.

Jiwoo kept walking until she reached the lake, where she always went to see and feed the ducks. It had been a while since she came, so she didn’t know if the ducks would still be there – but it wouldn’t hurt to check out. So, with a smile on her face, she went on, but then she stopped in her tracks when she finally got to the lake, and sitting by the lake was the exact same man she had been seeing these past few weeks.

Just like that, the chatters in her mind started, and all she could think about was how the hell did he know about this place.

“What the hell?” she said a little too loudly. As the place was quiet, her voice was heard by the man, who turned to find the source of the voice.

His look of confusion somehow fuelled the indignancy that Jiwoo was feeling, so she made her way towards him, until she was finally, _finally,_ face to face with him.

“How did you know about this place?” she asked straightforwardly. She didn’t even bother to hide the accusation in her tone.

“I-,” he sounded confused as he looked around the place like an answer would appear from behind the tree or behind the bush, “I always come here.”

“Liar!” Jiwoo jabbed his bony chest with her finger, “ _I_ always come here, and _I_ never see you!”

“Why… would you want to see me?” his voice was laced with questions.

“I don’t want to see you!”

“Then why are you so mad?”

“Because I keep seeing you everywhere! In the coffee house, the takeout place, the arcade, the bookstore, and now this park?” Jiwoo’s voice raised at every word, “You can’t have the park too!”

“I’m sorry,” he said as his eyebrows furrowed, and this time, he’s the one who sounded indignant, “Is this _your_ park?”

“No.”

“Well, you sounded like this is _your_ park, and you don’t want me to come here,” he continued, crossing his arms across his chest and he glared at Jiwoo, “This is a public place. You can’t get mad at me for coming here. I’ve every right to be here just as you do!”

“B—but,” Jiwoo found herself speechless, and at the back of her mind, she wanted to kick herself for not being able to come up with a counter argument.

“What?” he provoked, “I discovered this park a few weeks ago and have been coming here every day since. I’ve never seen you here, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen you at any other place that you mentioned. So, if you’re trying to accuse me of something, you gotta get your facts straight because right now, it seems like you’re the one who’s been stalking me!”

Jiwoo’s jaw dropped as he finished his words. Right now, he looked downright livid – nose flaring and chest heaving up and down as his eyes shot daggers at her. Jiwoo knew she had messed with the wrong person right then and there because although from afar, he seemed like a patient person, he definitely didn’t appreciate being accused of something that he didn’t do and that wasn’t something he could be patient about. Besides, in a way, his words made a lot of sense. If anyone were to analyse their situation, it would seem like she’s the one who’d been stalking him because she’s the one who kept noticing him. He seemed to genuinely not remember her from any of their encounters. Although this placed a huge bruise in Jiwoo’s ego, she knew that she owed him an apology for practically suggesting that he was a creepy stalker.

“I-,” Jiwoo stuttered, “I didn’t… I didn’t know. I’m sorry.”

Jiwoo couldn’t meet his eyes when she said that because she was too embarrassed. Thus, she looked at the ground before bowing, hoping that he didn’t think badly of her. He didn’t say a word after that, only looking as her with questions in his eyes, like he was trying to figure her out. Jiwoo felt like she could burn under his stare, so she couldn’t find herself to meet his eyes. She wanted nothing more than to run, but her feet felt like they were glued to the ground.

She just couldn’t run until she got the confirmation that she was forgiven.

“It’s okay,” he said, as if he could read her mind, “Everyone makes mistakes.”

Jiwoo heaved a sigh of relief when he said that. Somehow, he found it funny so he chuckled a little, but then faltered when she threw him a glare for laughing at her.

“So,” he started, “You’ve been seeing me around?”

“Yeah, and it’s weird, alright?” she said, crossing her arms across her chest, “I don’t know why we seem to always bump into each other!”

“Maybe it’s fate,” he teased, smirking slightly.

Jiwoo scoffed, “Please. There’s no such thing.”

“Ah, you’re one of those people,” he said, his smirk never left his face. In fact, his smirk became wider when she looked at him questioningly, which prompted him to continue, “You know, the people who don’t believe in fate, but are always perplexed when something they cannot comprehend is thrown to their faces and they have no idea what to blame on?”

Jiwoo wanted nothing more than to wipe the smirk on his face with her bare hands, but she couldn’t do so because despite feeling annoyed by him, she couldn’t help but to think that he was all sorts of attractive when he teased her.

Damn it.

“Alright, alright,” he laughed when she kept glaring at him, “Let’s just say that fate doesn’t have anything to do with it. We’re just two people who have similar interests, and that explains why we keep going to the same places.”

“That is the most logical explanation that we can get of all this,” Jiwoo said, her chin tilted high.

“No, the most logical explanation is fate, but you don’t believe in that.” he replied stubbornly – his smirk turned into a smile when Jiwoo chuckled slightly at his remark. He then looked at her like he finally saw her, and in his mind, he couldn’t understand why he had never noticed her before. She’s beautiful, she’s sassy, and her brown hair with pink streaks weren’t exactly unnoticeable.

Maybe he’s just not observant.

“Look, I’m going to the coffee place after this, so…” she started, her ears reddened as she looked at him, as if hoping that he’d get the hint.

“So…?”

“Wanna get coffee together?” she asked, “I practically called you a stalker just now, so the least I could do is buy you a coffee. Come on, my treat.”

He chuckled, “I was just messing with you. I was waiting for that, actually.”

Jiwoo rolled her eyes as she started walking, and he followed her before walking alongside her.

“By the way, what’s your name?” he asked as they walked side by side.

“Jiwoo.” She answered, “And you?”

He smiled, “You can call me Taehyung.”

//

It was a strange feeling. Missing someone, that was.

It was stupid, and crazy, especially when he had only known Somin for a few hours before she ran out of the pub and left him alone. Forgetting her was supposed to be easy. She’s just a stranger despite the wonderful time they had together. He felt like he knew her, but when J.Seph told him that she had left, Matthew realised that he didn’t even get the chance to ask for her full name – making it more difficult to find her because God knows how many ‘Somins’ were there on social media.

As it was, Matthew was left hanging, wondering what he did wrong.

J.Seph was no good too. He refused to tell Matthew anything. He kept him in the dark, even refused to meet his eyes when he told him that Somin had left. Apparently, she told J.Seph that she was going to give him a call, which was a total bullshit since he hadn’t given her his number.

Call it what you want, but this was rejection at its finest.

It’s not that Matthew hadn’t had his fair share of rejections before. However, this was by far the worst. At least, before this, he knew what he did wrong. It’s always either because he’s too distant that people thought that he’s boring, or he tried too hard that it just looked pathetic. Both cases reflected badly on him, but at least he knew what he did wrong. Now, well, _now_ , he’s clueless. That night was going so well, until it didn’t.

J.Seph told him to not let this matter bother him too much, but unfortunately, Matthew couldn’t let it go. He was worried that he had done Somin wrong that she had to take off. What if she thought he was being inappropriate? What if she thought he’s a creep? What if she thought his singing was so bad that she couldn’t stand being around him anymore?

What? Just…. _What?_

Matthew scratched his head, causing his messy hair to get even messier.

It’s unlike him to have his hair all messy. In fact, J.Seph had been telling to cut his hair short many times, but he refused to listen because he didn’t feel like it. He’s in this broody mood that he didn’t feel like doing anything, and quite frankly, a part of him liked his hair like this. Maybe sometimes, he didn’t want to have hair gels keeping his hair all sleek and tidy. Maybe sometimes, he needed to let go.

And he really needed to let go.

Sighing, Matthew forced himself to get his shit together and get Somin out of his mind. As he couldn’t sleep last night, he knew that he’s not going to get through this day without a good amount of caffeine in his system. Thus, he waited in line at his favourite coffee shop to get the coffee he severely needed, and luckily for him, he came just as the morning rush lessened – so he didn’t have to wait long for his order.

He took his coffee from the barista, who smiled kindly at him and wished him a good day. Matthew couldn’t help but to smile back, feeling warmth oozing into his veins again. He always liked it when people smiled. Despite being cranky and distant these days, he was still the old Matthew at heart because he would do just about anything to bring a smile back to people’s faces. A smile, from anyone, could make his day brighter, and because of that, he always did his best to make people happy although he felt like shit himself.

He remembered the way Somin smiled, albeit nervously, when he joined her for dinner a month ago. He felt his heart flutter when he remembered the way she laughed, the way her eyes sparkled when she talked about her cat, and the way she looked so happy and carefree although she was unhappy. He loved that he made her smile, and he would do just about anything to see her smile again.

But she left him, and it’s pathetic of him to miss someone who dumped his ass.

Shaking his head to bring himself out of his daze, Matthew made his way out of the coffee shop. Just as he was about to walk out, he almost ran into a woman who was coming in.

“Oops, sorry,” he said, his grip on his coffee cup tightened. It’s sad to be protective of a cup of coffee but he’s really relying on this coffee to keep his sanity intact for the rest of the day. He was sure he’s going to throw a fit if it dropped.

The woman didn’t answer, so Matthew started to make his way out. However, the woman tensed in her tracks, and she was blocking the door. Looking up from his coffee cup, Matthew found himself standing face to face with a woman he had been longing to meet, the very woman who left him tangled in questions he didn’t know answers to, the very woman he missed.

Somin was standing right in front of him, and despite being a man of words, Matthew was left completely, and utterly, speechless.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, it's me again. First of all, thank you so much for reading. Thank you so much too for the ones who took time to leave me a feedback on previous chapters. I appreciate all of them so much! Reviews always motivate me to write better, and they're the ones that make me a better writer.
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Let me know what you think! Do you like Jiwoo and J.Seph? Do you want their story to progress alongside Bmin or do you want their relationship to stop here and remain vague as the story goes on? What do you think of Bmin meeting again? Do you have any predictions for the later chapters?
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading! I'll see you in the next chapter! Do leave a review, even if you just wanna say hi! Or if you wanna talk, you can find me at brightbluejournal.tumblr.com! xx


	5. five

“How are you?” Somin finally asked after an hour of awkward silence.

For the past hour, Matthew and her had been sitting next to each other on one of the benches at the park, too lost in their thoughts to form coherent words to express what they wanted to say. Somin never thought she’d ever see Matthew again, so the sight of him left her speechless, and throughout the whole hour they’re there, her heart beat so fast that it’s a miracle that she’s still able to breathe properly.

As for Matthew, he was baffled with himself mostly. He thought he had a lot to say to her, but right now, he didn’t know where to start. A part of him was glad to see her again, but a part of him wondered, _why now?_

“I’m good. You?” Matthew answered nonchalantly, a little surprised that his voice remained calm and composed.

“Good, good,” Somin nodded, gulping because of nervousness, “J-just a little busy with work, that’s all.”

She stole a glance at Matthew, whom she found was already staring at her. He didn’t look away when their eyes met – it’s like he wanted her to look at him and give him the explanation that he deserved. He looked disappointed, confused even. Truth be told, Somin was sure that he mirrored her own expression. She was disappointed in herself for leaving like she did. Ever since that night, she too, had been thinking about Matthew and how he deserved better than that.

She wished she could turn back time and did things right.

“Listen, Matthew…”

“Somin…”

They spoke in unison and stopped at the same time. Matthew chuckled, shaking his head a little before saying, “You go first.”

“I want to apologize,” Somin decided to go straight to the point instead of beating around the bush, “What I did to you was completely uncalled for. I’d- I’d understand if you’re mad at me. If I were you, I’d be mad at me too. I’m sorry, Matthew,” Somin said, feeling her heart break when Matthew looked away from her, “I really am.”

For the longest time, Matthew was silent.

Somin fidgeted in her seat, uncomfortable with the silence that haunted the air between them. Unable to look at him any longer, she turned her gaze to the ground, where she had been kicking dirt little by little with her feet to ease her nervousness. She was never good when it came to apologies. She hated it when people were angry at her, which was why she tried her best to avoid this kind of situation.

“I’m not… mad at you. Not really.” Matthew finally said, huffing as he leaned back on the bench, arms crossed against his chest, “But I don’t know what to feel either, if we’re being honest here.”

Somin slowly darted her gaze back to Matthew, her eyebrows furrowed in confusion. Matthew seemed to sense her confusion, as he then proceeded with his own question, “Why’d you leave that night? I thought we’re having a good time.”

“I-I,” Somin stammered, “It’s just… well, it’s stupid…”

“See, you won’t think that it’s stupid if you’re the one who got dumped.” Matthew interrupted nonchalantly, but venom dripped in his voice, causing Somin’s face to redden in embarrassment.

“Sorry.” She apologized again, and started to wonder how many times she would have to say that to make up for what she did, “I thought you didn’t want me.”

“Didn’t want you?” now it’s Matthew’ turn to look confused, “Where in God’s earth did you get that idea?”

“Matthew, I know about Hana. You don’t have to hide things from me.”

At that, Matthew’s body stiffened – his ex’s name brought a bitter taste to this entire situation. He didn’t understand how Hana was involved in this, but the thought of the woman who broke his heart being the reason why Somin left stirred a lot of emotion in him.

“What about Hana? And how did you know her?” Matthew asked.

“I saw you two at the pub after your performance. J.Seph told me that she’s your ex, and how you’re miserable without her and such. But don’t get mad at him,” Somin added quickly when she saw Matthew’s expression change, “He’s telling the truth, wasn’t he? You _were_ miserable when she broke up with you.”

Matthew didn’t answer her question, so she continued, “When I saw you two, all I could think about was if you’re still in love with her, then what’re you doing with me?”

“Somin…” Matthew started, but then trailed off. He didn’t know what to say, and at that, Somin shook her head.

“You don’t understand.” She said sadly, “I wondered why you’re with me, so I began to question your intentions. You _just_ got your heart broken, Matthew, and from what J.Seph had told me, you’re far from getting over her. It means that I was a rebound, maybe a one-night stand. I don’t wanna be that. I’m better than that.”

She took a deep breath to compose herself, “I really like you, Matthew. Believe it or not, I felt bad for leaving just like that. I wish that it ended properly, but I got to do what I got to do, y'know?”

Matthew felt his heart clench, his guts twisting into knots. He couldn’t believe everything he heard, and he couldn’t believe that Somin would think of him that way.

There were so many things that he wanted to say, that he wanted to explain. He could’ve told her that he had gotten over Hana when she told him a few months ago that she was engaged to another man. He could’ve told Somin that he found her beautiful, and kind, and funny, and amazing, and he would love to get to know her better, and that he was looking forward for a proper date with her. He could’ve told her that his intention of helping her was genuine, and he would never think of her as a rebound, or a one-night stand.

He could’ve told her that he really liked her.

But all that came out of his mouth was, “If that’s what you really think of me, then, I don’t think I could ever convince you to stay.”

The devastation in her eyes was clear as the day; her bright eyes looked dark with sadness and disappointment. Matthew wanted nothing more than to comfort her, to take the despair in her eyes and replace it with joy. But he couldn’t do it. His limbs were numb, and he felt frustrated. Frustrated with her for thinking such bad things about him. Frustrated with himself for being this upset.

Everything was a blur after that. Somin said something about having to go to work, and left without saying another word to him.

And Matthew, well, Matthew stayed in the park for hours before he finally left and never looked back.

//

“Let me get this straight,” J.Seph said, “You finally see Somin, whom you’ve been searching for like, I don’t know,  _a month_. You’ve been a whiny baby about it all, but when she’s right in front of you, you pushed her away?”

Matthew had his hands covering his face, too frustrated to even look at J.Seph in the eyes, “Yeah.”

J.Seph whistled, shaking his head as he sat on the counter, feet dangling while he watched Matthew who was in complete and total agony.

“I don’t know what to say, man,” J.Seph shrugged, but after a thought, he added, “Well, except that  _you’re an idiot_.”

“I know. _I know_. Stop stating the obvious!” Matthew groaned, getting up from the chair and started pacing back and forth in the kitchen, “You should’ve seen the look on her face. I mean, I know that she’s sorry, and I understand why she left me that night, but I couldn’t help it, y'know? It’s like my mouth had a mind of its own…”

“Yeah, your mouth needs to stop having a mind of its own if it wants you to stop fucking things up.” J.Seph interrupted Matthew’ rants, eyes following Matthew who were pacing back and forth in their kitchen. He smiled to himself as he watched Matthew’s antics. Truth be told, he found it a little bit adorable because he had never seen him this disgruntled about a girl before – not even with Hana. He knew Matthew’s the kind of person who fell in love fast and hard, but he had never seen Matthew so smitten – for a girl he barely knew, at that.

J.Seph knew it’s too soon to say anything, but Somin really did look like a decent girl. It’s too bad Matthew and her ended before they even started.

J.Seph was too immersed in his thought that he didn’t realise that Matthew had stopped pacing around and was now looking directly at him. Flustered, J.Seph’s smile vanished, but it was a little too late as Matthew looked really upset that J.Seph was able to smile in the midst of his agony.

 

See, Matthew knew that J.Seph wasn’t the best at giving advice. J.Seph, in fact, had told Matthew time and time again that if he was in trouble, the best he could give him was a sarcastic remark. So, Matthew should’ve known better than to talk to J.Seph about this.

But still, it didn’t mean that he wasn’t annoyed when J.Seph didn’t take him seriously.

“You’re the worst.” Matthew spat before getting out of the kitchen and back to his room. He heard J.Seph call after him and hopped down the counter to get him, but Matthew fastened his pace and slammed the door to J.Seph’s face, locking it once he was inside. When he was alone, Matthew sank into his bed as he replayed the event that happened this evening over and over again in his head.

He remembered Somin telling him the reason why she left. He remembered her telling him that she liked him, but refused to do anything because she thought he loved someone else. He remembered tears brimming in her eyes when he acted like he didn’t care, and how she left again, never turning back to see him again.

It hurt thinking about it all. Matthew knew that the moment she walked away, he had lost her again. He felt unsettled when he thought about that, but then again, it never felt good when he had to let go of the person he really liked. It’s time for him to accept that Somin and he weren’t meant to be. They’re just two strangers who shared one beautiful night with each other but weren’t supposed to end up together.

Maybe ending this was the right thing to do.

Perhaps they’re meant to stay as strangers.

And perhaps that’s okay.

//

“Ah, this is bad,”

Jiwoo sighed as she ran her hands through her hair, making a complete mess of her previously neat hair. She then placed her hands on the planner she had opened in front of her on the table. Looking at the dates, she knew that she was in deep, deep trouble. Naturally, her brain instantly whirred to find ways to get her out of it, but before she could even come up with anything, her vision suddenly turned dark, pitch black.

There’s a pair of hands covering her eyes.

“Guess who?”

“Taehyung, now’s not the time,” she replied grumpily as she removed Taehyung’s hands off her eyes. She gestured for him to sit in front of her, and he instantly did exactly what he was told.

They’ve only known each other for two weeks now, but they’re already so comfortable with each other that their bickering became a daily thing, and Jiwoo bossing him around wasn’t awkward at all although she was a few years younger than him.

“Alright, what’s with the long face?” he asked as he placed his bag on the empty seat next to him. He then looked at Jiwoo expectantly, but Jiwoo didn’t reply. Her eyes were trained on the planner in front of her, so Taehyung took it upon himself to look at the planner himself instead of waiting for Jiwoo’s explanation.

He realised that the planner was empty except for the one date during the month of August.

22nd August.

“What’s with this date?” he questioned, turning his gaze on Jiwoo who was biting her bottom lip, looking like she was thinking hard. When she didn’t answer, he pressed on, “Jiwoo?”

“It’s my roommate’s birthday,”

“It’s two days from now.”

“No shit, Sherlock,” she snapped, yanking the planner from his hands. He arched his brow at her sudden reaction, looking at her eyes that looked guarded and worried when she got the planner back. She realised that he was still waiting for an explanation, so she sighed and continued, “I’m supposed to throw her a party, alright? But I’ve been so busy lately – I had no time to plan for anything.”

To him, this sounded like such a small matter that he almost didn’t believe how upset she looked. Hesitantly, he continued, “Um, so…”

“So,” she added exasperatedly, “It’s too late to plan anything now, which means Somin’s not gonna get a birthday party this year!”

He’s still confused, “... so…?”

“Gosh, you don’t understand!”

“Then help me understand,” Taehyung replied patiently, “I think you’re just overthinking this. I’m sure your roommate won’t mind if there’s no party.”

“She won’t mind, but her fucking friends,” Jiwoo said with clenched teeth, “ _They_ would mind. They’re always the ones who plan this party for her, but after last year, when they casually ‘forgot’ to invite me,” she raised her fingers and made an air quote, “I told them that I’m gonna host this year’s party and they can fuck off.” She shrugged, “Ah, I wish I didn’t say those things to them.”

“They didn’t invite you? Damn that’s cold,” he whistled, shaking his head.

“They don’t like me, which I don’t mind because I don’t like them too,” Jiwoo said nonchalantly, “But they always steal her during her birthday, and I always end up alone! I want to spend time with her too, dammit!”

At that, Taehyung couldn’t help but to laugh. His reaction earned a puzzled look from Jiwoo who couldn’t believe that he would laugh when she’s this disgruntled.

“I’m sorry,” he said once he’s done laughing, “Never thought you’d be a jealous person.”

“I’m not jealous!”

“Yeah, you are. It’s okay, I think it’s kinda cute,” he replied, but when Jiwoo opened her mouth to counter his statement, he quickly added, “And you shouldn’t give up too easily. We have two more days – there’s still time.”

Jiwoo’s brows furrowed upon his words, “I’m sorry. ‘We’? More time? What’re you talking about?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” he said as he opened his bag and took out a notebook and a pen, “I’m helping you with the party. Now, what’d you like to serve as an appetizer?”

“Hold up,” Jiwoo reached forward and held Taehyung’s hand to stop him from writing, “You don’t have to do this. It’s too late, and it’s too much of a hassle – I can’t let you do this for me.”

He wished his heart didn’t skip a beat when her hand touched his, but as it was, it did, just for a second before it started to beat so fast that he was sure that it’s going to jump out of his chest. He tried to keep his composure by maintaining a stoic expression, but he was sure that if Jiwoo didn’t remove her hand quickly, she’s going to sense his heartbeat through his pulse.

He couldn’t have that, so he removed her hand himself and said, “One thing you should know about me is that I’m _amazing_ at throwing parties. This is a piece of cake – we’ll get it done in no time.”

Jiwoo sighed, “You’re really stubborn, you know?”

“I’ve been told,” he replied nonchalantly as he continued writing details on the paper, “What else do we need? Wine? Champagne?”

“Wine, maybe,” Jiwoo said, “But we don’t need a lot. My roommate’s not a heavy drinker.”

“What about her friends?”

“Oh, they can’t stand parties without a lot of alcohol, which is why we’re doing _exactly that_ ,” Jiwoo said with an evil smirk on her face, “I want them to suffer.”

Taehyung hated to admit it, but his heart fluttered at that. There’s something about cunning Jiwoo that caught his heart – it’s a pure contrast from him who liked staying out of trouble, which normally meant that Jiwoo brought out the bad sides of him. However, her quirks, sharp tongue, and quick wit were the things about her that he loved once he got to know her, and he didn’t care if brought out the worst in him – he wanted to bring out the best in her.

Jiwoo threw him a questioning look when she saw that he was spacing out. He then quickly nodded as he jotted down notes, taking in every input from Jiwoo while thinking about the places he could get all this without breaking their banks.

“By the way,” Jiwoo suddenly said in between their conversation about the colour of balloons to choose, “Why’re you here? Usually by this time, you’d text me saying that you’re home and bored out of your mind.”

“I _was_ home, but my roommate’s busy mopping around, so I got out of the house.”

“Oh? What happened?”

“Girl problems,” Taehyung answered shortly as he put down his pen after finishing his notes.

“Yikes,” Jiwoo cringed, “I hate it when guys mop around because of a girl.”

“To be fair, he does seem to feel strongly about this girl. He lost contact with her for a month or so, but when he saw her again, he sort of lost it and chased her away.” Taehyung sighed exasperatedly, “It’s over before it even started – no wonder he’s upset.”

“That sucks,” Jiwoo nodded her head, losing interest in the story, “Anyway, thank you for doing this for me. I owe you one.”

“You definitely do. This is a lot of work,” Taehyung sighed a tad dramatically as he leaned back on the chair with his hand on his forehead, feigning fatigue. Jiwoo laughed at his antics as she leaned forward and hit his chest. However, before she could move away, he caught her hand, keeping her in place as he leaned forward too, until their faces were close to each other that they could feel each other’s breath.

“W-what?”

“Go out with me,” he said suddenly, surprising her.

Jiwoo’s eyes bulged at his words and her jaw dropped as she stared at him in silence. Taehyung seemed to have expected this reaction as he gently let go of her hand and moved away from her, but he didn’t say anything to make it awkward. He simply smiled and placed his notebook back in his bag while Jiwoo sat back on her chair, still looking at him intently.

“One condition,” Jiwoo suddenly said, making Taehyung turn towards her, “This party gotta be good, and Somin’s gotta have the time of her life.” She leaned forward again to look at him in the eyes, “Only then we’ll go out. Deal?”

Jiwoo felt her heart flutter when he smiled from ear to ear and said, “Okay, deal.”

She was sure that she could feel her heart burst with happiness when she thought about going out with him. Truth be told, it scared her a little because she had never felt like this about going on a date with previous men in her life. This was different, a refreshing change.

However, this didn’t last long as she saw Taehyung’s face contorted, like he’s realising something. Just when she was about to ask him what’s wrong, he interrupted her and asked, “Wait, what’s your roommate’s name again?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! First of all, thank you so much for your kind reviews on the previous chapter! It means the world to me to see that people are enjoying my work. It motivates me so much that I gotta get this chapter out fast for you! I'm new to the fandom, so your reviews make me feel so welcomed!
> 
> I also can't believe that this story is coming to its end too. I think the next chapter might be the last chapter, and then there might be an epilogue before I wrap things up. I loved writing this - it's my baby. Thank you so much for reading it!
> 
> Also, Kard's debut is coming! Are we excited or are we excited????
> 
> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Lemme know what you think! I'll see you in the next chapter! xx Do talk to me on Tumblr too if you'd like! brightbluejournal.tumblr.com


	6. six

Matthew’s golden rule of life was that it’s not good to dwell on the past. He believed that everything that happened, happened for many different reasons that he would learn as he lived on. However, if there was one thing that these experiences had in common, it was that they all happened to teach him something. It’s up to him to make it valuable, to cherish it, to learn from it. Something better was bound to come up, but if he spent his time looking back and wondering about the what if’s, then he would miss all these good things life was giving him.

So, it’s safe to say that Somin made him question this life principle of his.

It was uncharacteristic of him to spend the last few months searching for someone who didn’t want him. It’s pointless to keep thinking about her, to wish to see her again. Still, he looked. He didn’t move on.

Unfortunately for him, back then, she was nowhere to be found. If he had to be honest, he’d say that the search almost drove him crazy because he couldn’t stop wondering whether she’s alright, whether he had done something to hurt her, whether she reached home safely that night, or had something bad happen to her along the way?

He got no answers to his questions because she disappeared with a trace. He didn’t get a proper closure. He usually had his closure to help him move on, but when he’s left high and dry like this – it’s difficult.

He needed to get his shit together for his own sanity, so he tried to focus on other things except Somin. He practically forced himself to move on, but just when he didn’t want to see her anymore, just when he wanted to put her in his past after he casually pushed her away at the park – all of the sudden, she’s _everywhere._

Matthew bumped into her when he went to get coffee in the morning. He saw her with her friends at the restaurant where he went to get his lunch. He kept seeing her taking the same train as him, always with a book in her hands as she ignored the chattering of people around her.

He saw her, but she didn’t see him. Every time Matthew’s eyes caught the sight of her, he went the other way, avoiding her and staying clear. He didn’t know why he kept doing this because he was sure that he ended everything when they said goodbye at the park the other day. If he really had (or had attempted) to move on, she shouldn’t affect him as much.

Except she did.

Every time he saw her, all he could think about was to face her and apologize for what he said. That he didn’t mean all that. That he had so many things to explain and he wished she’d stay and listen, and maybe open her heart for him so that they could see where this could lead them.

All that remained a fantasy, though, because Matthew was too scared to approach her as there’s every possibility that she would push him away this time. He had his ego hurt before – he’s not gonna let it happen again.

////

One day, he was minding his own business in the living room when J.Seph came to him. Truth be told, both of them had been so busy with their work that they hardly see each other anymore. Matthew was sure that J.Seph had been avoiding him too. He had a feeling that J.Seph felt bad for telling Somin about Hana, hence being the biggest meddler in his and Somin’s relationship. Plus, his reaction when Matthew told him about meeting Somin was anything but reassuring, so he probably felt bad about that too. He had royally fucked up in some ways, but when he tried to apologize, Matthew just told him that he’s busy sorting out his thoughts and didn’t have time to entertain him.

He wished he didn’t do that, though, because between avoiding Somin and giving J.Seph a hard time, these past few weeks had been incredibly lonely.

“Are you gonna ignore me forever?” J.Seph asked as he took a seat right in front of Matthew, staring at him with such intensity that Matthew couldn’t help but to feel a little restless, “Because I can’t go on like this. You gotta tell me if you don’t wanna be friends with me anymore, man. I can move out if you want me to,”

Matthew instantly looked up when J.Seph said that. Frowning, he replied, “Move out? I don’t want you to move out.”

“Then what the hell do you want? I’ve been so patient with you throughout this whole Somin thing. I’ve said sorry millions of times but you’re still, well, like this!” he gestured wildly to Matthew, “You need to get a grip, man!”

J.Seph looked so frustrated with the whole thing that Matthew instantly felt bad for ignoring him. In a way, he really _did_ want to punish J.Seph for not being able to keep his mouth shut about Hana, but in another perspective, he really _did_ need some time on his own. He supposed he was so busy minding his own feeling that he forgot about J.Seph, who was probably wondering when they’re going to talk about what happened.

“I’m sorry,” Matthew finally said, “I was out of line. I don’t blame you for what happened. It’s none of your fa-”

“C’mon, it _is_ my fault, and I take full responsibility for that.” J.Seph sighed, running his hand through his sleek hair, “I just… I guess I need to know if we’re still friends.”

Matthew restrained himself from rolling his eyes at J.Seph’s dramatic antic. This wasn’t a conversation that two dudes usually have, and truth be told, this made Matthew uncomfortable because knowing J.Seph (and himself), things could get sappy really, really fast.

“Of course we’re still friends, you dumbass,” Matthew remarked as he took one of the cushions and threw it straight to its aim – J.Seph’s face, “You really think I’d dump you because of a girl?”

J.Seph smiled sheepish, recovering fairly quickly after having a cushion thrown to his face, “She was pretty cute, so, maybe?”

“You’re my brother, man. I’d never do that.” Matthew sighed as he leaned on the sofa. He saw J.Seph’s expression soften at his words as he said, “Thanks, bro.”

The eye contact they had was probably a little too long that it started to get really sappy, so Matthew coughed and darted his gaze to the paper bags at J.Seph’s bedroom door. Curious, Matthew asked, “What’s that for?”

“A birthday party,” J.Seph replied nonchalantly.

“What?” Matthew’s eyes bulged, “Whose birthday did I forget this time?”

At that, J.Seph grinned knowingly, but just when Matthew thought he’s going to give him the answer, J.Seph shook his head and said, “Nah, s’not our friends’ birthday. I’m just helping out this girl…”

“Ah, a girl,” Matthew interrupted, “No wonder.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

Matthew raised his brow as he darted his gaze from J.Seph to the paper bags, “You’re _never_ this extra when you’re planning a birthday for anyone we know.”

“That’s not true!”

“It’s not that it’s bad! Party planning takes a lot of work, and you never do it for anyone unless you like the person.” Matthew laughed, “And judging by how extreme you are with the items, you must _really_ like this girl.”

“Pfft,” J.Seph snorted, “How’d you know she’s not paying me? That I haven’t taken a part-time job as a party planner or somethin’?”

“Well, have you?”

Silence.

“Thought so,” Matthew smirked, satisfied that he rendered J.Seph speechless for once because most of the time, it’s the other way around.

His satisfied smirk was all that it took to annoy J.Seph so much that he rolled his eyes before getting up and made his way to his bedroom. He picked up the remainder of the bags before closing the door behind him, leaving Matthew alone in the living room while ignoring Matthew’s offer to help him organize the bags.

Matthew whistled and smiled to himself, _“Ah, he must really like her.”_

////

Somin noticed everything.

Well, either that, or Jiwoo was absolutely terrible when it came to keeping secrets.

Somin knew that Jiwoo felt bad for going behind her back and set her up on a date with a guy who didn’t even bother to show up, which consequently led to her date with Matthew that turned out to be a night that would forever be ingrained in her memory, in both good and bad ways. Jiwoo’s guilt seemed to heighten when Somin told her all about this date, and it was worse when she had to witness Somin going through quite a process to forget about Matthew.

In the end, Jiwoo blamed herself for everything that happened. Everything was her fault. If only she listened to Somin and didn’t set up the date in the first place…

Somin did not blame her in the slightest. She didn’t think Jiwoo should feel responsible, because everything that happened was not in her control, so she shouldn’t feel bad just because the universe was not on Somin’s side that night. However, unlike her, Jiwoo was a little bit of a pessimist, so there wasn’t anything that Somin could do to convince her that she was okay.

Jiwoo rarely apologize, so when she’s feeling guilty of something, she would find other ways to make up to what she did. Somin realised that nowadays, Jiwoo no longer made snarky remarks about her single life. She didn’t even flinch when their cat-loving neighbour came to visit Somin in their apartment with her cats. She did her chores without her usual complaints. She bought take-outs and ordered exactly what Somin wanted without having Somin telling her what to order.

It’s like she did all that she could to stay out of Somin’s way, and while this was usually a good thing, Somin felt a little sad because she’s used to Jiwoo depending on her. But now that she didn’t, Somin felt a little lonely.

Jiwoo didn’t let her feel lonely for too long though, because just as Somin’s birthday approaches, the atmosphere of the apartment changed completely. It’s like Jiwoo thought that this was the ultimate redemption for her because birthdays always make Somin happy. Unlike many people her age, Somin didn’t think being a year older was the end of the world.

Jiwoo tried to act as nonchalantly as she could, like she didn’t have anything planned for Somin. However, Somin’s co-workers had been asking Somin about the party that Jiwoo’s planning, and as Jiwoo never mentioned about the party to her, Somin knew right away that Jiwoo planned to have a surprise party and Somin’s co-workers basically ruined the surprise.

Still, Somin said nothing to Jiwoo as she could see how excited Jiwoo seemed to host a birthday party for her. She noticed how Jiwoo’s been on her phone more often lately, talking to someone named ‘Taehyung’ whom Somin concluded to be either a party planner or Jiwoo’s new love interest. She’d say that it’s the latter though, considering that Jiwoo was always all giddy and smiley after talking to him on the phone.

So, Somin played along with Jiwoo’s antics, pretending to be confused when she sent her away for the entire evening and told her to come back home exactly at 8. Jiwoo seemed flustered when Somin jokingly asked whether she’s bringing Taehyung over, and warned to not do anything funny as she had just cleaned the couch. Pushing Somin out of the door, Jiwoo promised to not do anything weird. Her face was of the colour of crimson when she closed the door, causing Somin to smile to herself.

_“Ah, she must really like him,”_

Somin did exactly what she was told. She spent the entire evening of her birthday driving around and stopping by shops and boutiques. She bought a birthday gift for herself - a cute sunny yellow dress – and a new speaker for Jiwoo as a token of appreciation for everything she had done for her lately.

Being her punctual self, Somin was on the doorstep exactly at 8. She hesitated when her hand was on the door knob, nervous to twist it and get in. She knew exactly what’s going to happen when she opened the door. She would be greeted with darkness before a cheering of ‘Surprise!’, laughs, and claps boomed in as the room turn bright again.

Shaking her head, Somin convinced herself to stop overthinking everything and just go in.

As expected, the apartment was dark. She took another step in and called for Jiwoo, and then the light suddenly went on and she heard screams of “Surprise!” and laughter. She giggled, looking around to see her friend, but much to her shock, Jiwoo was standing next to the man she never thought she’d see again.

J.Seph

Jiwoo had a knowing look in her eyes and the biggest smile on her lips, looking so pleased with herself. She promised herself to give Somin a surprise during her birthday party, and a surprise she gave.

Jaw dropped and rendered speechless, Somin’s eyes darted from J.Seph to Jiwoo and back to J.Seph again. He smiled shyly at her before nudging Jiwoo to go to Somin to explain everything. At that, Jiwoo was brought out her daze and quickly made her way towards Somin.

Somin knew that Jiwoo had so many things to say to her, and so many things to explain. Knowing how Jiwoo tend to talk a lot when she’s explaining herself, Somin braced herself for a long-winded explanation that could last for hours.

And honestly, _she wanted to hear it._

What the hell was J.Seph doing here? How the hell did they know each other?

However, to her surprise, Jiwoo pulled her into a hug, and whispered, “Happy birthday, Somin.”

////

Matthew fucked up.

J.Seph was going to kill him for sure.

It’s not easy for J.Seph to even trust him to do his task, but when he did, he did it with suspicion and it’s usually for the right reasons. Matthew was a little bit of a scatterbrain, a little bit all over the place. He was a total contrast of J.Seph himself, who could be playful at times but was organized in his daily life. He believed that if he wanted anything done right and in his ways, he had to do it himself.

So, for him to assign Matthew to get the cake that he had ordered from the bakery for his friend’s birthday party – it was a big deal. Matthew had been asking him non-stop about this ‘Jiwoo’ character and if he could go to the party too as J.Seph’s friend. J.Seph had been ignoring him, which made him more curious about the party and more eager to come.

So, when he was assigned to get the cake, Matthew was adamant to do this seemingly simple task right. That was, until he was caught in a traffic jam on the way there. The cars did not move for over an hour, and by the time he got to the bakery, he had fifteen minutes left before the party started.

And that was when Matthew realised that he had royally fucked up, and J.Seph’s friend had to start the party without the cake.

If that wasn’t bad enough, Matthew was in such a rush to steer his car out of the parking spot that he did not realise that a car was moving past him. He managed to break just in time to avoid an accident, but the impact was enough to cause the cake to slide down from the passenger seat, earning Matthew a mini heart attack when he found that the box was upside down.

When he opened the box, he realised that the icing was all smudged. The cake looked terrible, and even if he got to the place in time, J.Seph was going to kill him and he’s not going to live to see another day.

Matthew actually contemplated about not going at all, but his phone had been blasting with notification from J.Seph who was angry at first, but his texts then turned into questions about his whereabouts and reminder that if he didn’t answer his call, he’s going to assume that he got into an accident and he’s coming to get him.

Matthew answered his texts with, “I’ll be there in a few” but he definitely took his time. When he got to the building, he slowly climbed up the stairs (although there’s an elevator) – head down on the ground and his heart heavy at the thought of his fate.

It was easy to identify the venue of the party. By the time he got there, the door was open and there were chatters from the people from inside the house. Matthew looked at the box of cake in his hands, knowing that when he walked into the party, he’s going to ruin someone’s birthday with a bad cake, and he could only hope that J.Seph’s friend was kind enough to look past that and insist that what’s important is the taste, not the exterior.

He walked in and saw two girls hugging by the door. They broke apart when Matthew came in, but Matthew didn’t pay much attention to them as his gaze darted to J.Seph who was standing just a few feet away from them. He was about to open his mouth to say something, but J.Seph’s eyes darted to the two girls, which prompted Matthew to do the same.

He could practically feel his heart skip a beat when he saw the familiar pair of kind eyes staring up at him in shock.

“M-Matthew?”

“Somin?”

////

It was like the night they met.

They were walking side by side in silence, with him looking up the sky to look at the stars, and her staring at him and trying to figure him out. After recovering from their initial shock of seeing each other again, both Jiwoo and J.Seph had told them to just go about the party and save the talk for last. Matthew was dragged away from Somin by J.Seph, and Somin by Jiwoo, and for the rest of the party, they didn’t get the chance to talk to one another because Somin was always surrounded by her friends.

Somin’s head wasn’t into the party, which was why she’s glad when crowd started leaving little by little, leaving only the four of them in the living room. Both Jiwoo and J.Seph suggested going out for a walk as the weather was nice, to which Somin and Matthew agreed to reluctantly. However, only when both of them were out of the door, Jiwoo and J.Seph suddenly changed their minds and said they’re not going to join them before slamming the door to their faces.

So, here they were, together under the light of the stars and the moon – awkward air of silence between them.

Somin couldn’t take it, so she sighed, growing frustrated by everything. Her sigh caught Matthew’s attention as he turned to look at her, even in the darkness of the night, his eyes still shine, so beautiful that they took her breath away.

He looked like he wanted to say something, so Somin braced herself from something snarky or hurtful – like the things he said back at the park. However, what he said was, “I’m sorry for the cake.”

Somin remembered how terrible the cake looked when they opened the box. Honestly, she didn’t mind it in the slightest because the cake was delicious, but clearly Matthew felt bad for ruining something so important in every birthday party.

“Nah, it’s alright,” she said lightly, “How did that happen?”

“A car accident,” he replied, but when her eyes widened in shock, he quickly added, “I managed to swerve just in time, though! The box fell when I was trying to avoid the other car, so there’s nothing I could do.” He sighed, “I wished my reflex was faster so I could save your cake.”

“You should be more careful next time,” Somin’s voice was soft, “No cake is worthy of losing your life.”

Somin tried to sound nonchalant, but there were still traces of concern in her tone. She loved the attention that people gave her during her birthday, but it would kill her if anything bad happen to them during the process. Somin remembered when one of her friends got into an accident when she’s trying to reach her during her lowest points. Somin couldn’t sleep for weeks because of guilt.

To think that Matthew almost got into a car accident… it’s terrifying.

“Somin,” Matthew suddenly said, his voice no longer took the calm tone he had just now. Instead, he sounded serious, like he had been wanting to say something but hadn’t found the right time until now, “I’m really sorry.”

“For what?” Somin replied, not looking at him in the eyes.

“For everything that I said at the park. I was angry, and I let my emotion got the best of me. I think about what I said every day. It’s just – I wasn’t fair to you at all.”

“That’s right. You weren’t,” Somin replied harshly, barely concealing the hurt she got from their previous encounter. However, she then took a deep breath and said, “But I’d be mad if I were you too, so it’s okay. It’s forgotten.”

“Why do I feel like it’s not okay?” Matthew chuckled nervously, “You forgive me too easily.”

“What do you want me to do, then?” she said exasperatedly, “Yell at you? Punch you? Kick you?”

“Actually, yes,” Matthew said, “Clearly you’re still angry at me. I could tell from your tone.”

“You could tell from my tone…” Somin chuckled bitterly, rolling her eyes at Matthew’s remark that she thought was silly, “I’m not angry at you. And I’m not gonna beat you up!”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s assault!” Somin exclaimed loudly, “And in case you haven’t noticed, you’re a bloody giant! You’re not gonna feel anything if I punch you anyway!”

“Ah, so you _do_ want to punch me,”

“I don’t! Ugh, why`re you so infuriating?”

“Why’d you try so hard to deny that you’re angry at me?”

“Why’d you want me to be angry at you?”

“Why aren’t you angry at me then?”

Somin’s eyes shot daggers at Matthew, and she was sure if glares could kill, he’d be dead on the floor right now. He looked far too smug for her liking, mostly because he knew he was right.

She _was_ a little pissed off at him. She was hurt by his words. She was taken aback by his reaction, his coldness, his indifference. She expected better from him – some denial about her being a one-night stand, some words about the night meaning something for him like it did for her, some explanation about his ex-girlfriend. _Something._ But all he gave her was, “If that’s what you really think of me, then, I don’t think I could ever convince you to stay.”

_He didn’t even try to make her stay, damn it._

But what made her so angry was that despite all that, she still liked him. She still wanted to get to know him. Call her whipped, weak, or any despicable name you could think of, but nothing could change the fact that she was incredibly attracted to him, and she wanted the chance to stay and explore this relationship. She liked him, but from his indifference, it’s like he didn’t feel the same.

That hurt like hell.

“You know what, fuck this,” Somin finally said, almost biting back her tongue at the swear word, “I’m done.”

Without saying another word, she turned her heels and started walking away. She was fuming, too distraught to think straight, let alone hear Matthew’s footsteps behind her. Before she knew it, he caught up with her and stood in her path, blocking her from walking.

She’s done, but he’s not.

“We need to talk.”

“Talk about _what_?!” Somin’s voice raised to the point that she almost yelled at him, “About how you rejected me? About how you intended me to be a one-night stand, and all that date bullshit was just some plan to woo me? About how I practically bared my soul to you and you feel nothing? And that night meant nothing to you unlike it was for me?”

Matthew opened his mouth to retort, but Somin interrupted him, “You _suck_ , you know that? But I guess I’m equally as bad because despite all that, I _still_ like you,” she was practically screaming now, tears threatened to fall down her cheeks, “Goddammit, I like you so much but you don’t…”

Somin didn’t get to finish her words though, as without any warning, Matthew closed the gap between them and sealed their lips in a kiss.

It took her by surprise at first, which was why her eyes widened in shock and her body was prepared to push him away. However, when his hand roamed to her back to pull her closer, Somin found herself kissing him back, closing her eyes as her hand moved to the back of his neck.

It was better that she could’ve ever imagine. His lips were soft as they moved slowly and sweetly against hers. Just like her, he was a little unsure. They’re two people discovering each other for the first time. The sense of shyness was still there, but this felt good, so good that Somin felt her heart soar, and like a phoenix rising from the ashes, she’s burning for him, burning for them, bringing them back to life. She tilted her head slightly, deepening their kiss while circling her arms around him, bringing him down to meet her as she pressed her body against his.

His hand was around her waist to keep her close, while the other was buried in her hair. He felt amazing against her, and she felt amazing against him. She fit perfectly in his arms and Matthew wondered if there would be anyone who would fit him like Somin did.

She felt right. Like a missing puzzle piece that he had been searching for all his life.

He breathed her in, kissing her like he never wanted to let her go. She shivered at the intensity of it all; her heart beating faster every second, and she never wanted this to end. She wanted to keep kissing him until her lips were bruised, until she was out of breath. For the longest time, she felt like the world didn’t exist. There was only her and Matthew, and she clung to him like he was the only one that kept her standing.

They only stopped when they needed to take a breath. She looked at him, loving the way his lips were swollen, and how his eyes that were dark as the night, only little traces of hazel around the pupil.

“I like you too,” he breathed, chuckling slightly, “I’ve been wanting to tell you that ever since we’re at the park.”

Somin, still a little disoriented from the kiss, was confused, “What?”

Matthew laughed – the sound of his laughter filled her heart with such joy that she felt like she was floating on air. He then dipped in and kissed her again.

“You still doubt me now?” he whispered, his forehead against hers.

“N-no. Nope. You made your point quite clear.” Somin stammered, chuckling slightly at how flustered she was right now.

“Good,” Matthew said, fingers tracing the length of her spine, “Because I really, really like you, kitten, and if you want to, I’d like to take you out again.”

She beamed at him, her heart melted at how innocent, and how hopeful he looked right now. When she said nothing, he asked again, “So, would you like to go out with me?”

“Of course I would,” Somin replied, stroking his cheek with her thumb, admiring how beautiful he looked under the moonlight. He was even more beautiful when he was smiling, as he looked younger, and the mischievous glint that she loved so much returned to his eyes, replacing the vulnerability that he showed a moment earlier.

“But…”

“… but what?” Matthew asked.

“Y’know, I really wanted to kiss you that night,” Somin said, playful smirk appeared on her lips, “And I was really looking forward to the date you said you’d take me when we were in the pub. I wanted to kiss you during that date too,”

Somin sighed a tad dramatically, earning a smile from Matthew, “I didn’t get those kisses. I think you need to make up for them before we go for our ‘official’” she made an air quote before putting her arms around Matthew again, “date,”

Matthew chuckled, amused by her mischievous statement. However, he said nothing further as he leaned in and kissed her again, trying to make up for lost times.

And oh, he did make up for lost times, and he did well.

Really well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi guys! So, this is the official ending of Square One. I can't believe it had ended... I'm going to miss this story so much. Writing this was so much fun. The characters are my babies whom I tried so hard to develop (and I hope I succeeded). 
> 
> That being said, this is the official ending. HOWEVER, I do have an epilogue planned as I feel like I need to give you guys a glimpse about how Coffee and Muffin turned out. Do you guys want that? I have doubts because this is a Bmin story, and I'm afraid that no one's gonna be interested in to know further about C & M. But if you guys want the epilogue, do let me know!
> 
> I owe you guys a huge thank you for supporting me from chapter one until now. I was so nervous to post a Kard story bcs I was afraid that no one's gonna be interested, and I was insecure with my writing too. But you guys have been so kind to me and so supportive - and I am so thankful for that. Words cannot describe how grateful I am for your reviews. I read every review and I keep them close to me. I use all of them as a motivation to keep me going because all of you are so kind to me and I don't want to disappoint.
> 
> Thank you thank you thank YOU for reading Square One. Thank you for giving it a chance and give it feedback - whether in the form of review, kudos, or views. It means the world to me.
> 
> So, goodbye for now! If you guys want to, you can follow me on my Tumblr (lightbluewings.tumblr.com). Don't let the BTS posts throw you off though - I love them but I post Kard and other groups too. Do come to say hello and talk to me or ask for drabble or anything there. I don't bite! 
> 
> Again, thank you so much for reading. Bye xx


End file.
